Lock mechanism for motor-vehicles.



G. C. JENSEN.A

Lock MECHANISM FOR Moo VEHICLES.-

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-10.1911.

Patented Jan. 1, 1918. v 2 SHEETS-SHEET l ATTORNEYS.

,6: c.'1ENsEN. LocE- MEcHANlsM FOR M oToR VEHICLES.

- y l APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I0, 1917. l 1,251,782. 'Patented Jan.1,191&

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

/C-f" Z /C- fn E- I WITNESS.- INVENTOR.

n Y 853W@ JT/WW @MQ/rw 27% ATTORNEYS.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT o FEicE.

GEORGE C. JENSEN, F OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

LOCK MECHANISM FOR MOTOR-VEHICLES.

Application filed September 10,` 1917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I. GEORGE C. JENSEN, a citizen of the United States. residing at Oakland, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lock Mechanism for Motor-Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

The hereinafter described invention is designed for preventing the operative throwing of the gear shift lever for shifting the variable speed gears ,off/motor driven vehicles at such times as thevehicle is left standing during the absence of the operator thereof, and bv so doing preventing the movement of the vehicle under its own power:l the invention residing in foot or hand actuated means capable 0f being thrown so as to move into engagement with the shift blocks which actuate; the gear shift and by so doing preventing the gear shift lever from being thrown into engagement with said shift blocks for varying the position thereof to throw or shift ble speed gears. l

The object of the invention istoprovide means under the control of the operator of the machine through themedium of the hand or foot for moving into engagement with the shift blocks, which when moved into suoli engagement will prevent the gear shift lever engaging the same for operative movement thereof for the shifting of the variable speed gears of the motor vehicle,

and which said means when moved into engagement with the shift blocks is automatically lockedk in said position and prevented from being disengaged until the-operator of 'the machine deliberately releases the lock mechanism.

The invention broadly comprises means under the control of the operator for lool@ ing the gear shift lever against operative movement for the shifting of the variable speed gears, by being moved into locked engagement with the shift blocks' which control the movement of the said variable speed gears, and holding the said shift blocks against movement by the action of the gear shift lever until the lock mechanism has been released to pe'rmit the shift block .engaging means being thrown from locked engagement therewith, so that the gear shift lever niav be free to actuate the said shift blocks to inove the same for Shifting the variable speed gears.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 1, 1918.

serial No. 190,548. i

Under the ,present invention it is permlssible to freely throwT the shift lever where the same is mounted for universal movement, without such movement actuating the shift blocks foitand shifting theva-` riable speed gears, thus providing against injury to the shift lever by ones desiring to actuate* the vehicle under its own power where the shift blocks have been locked against movement. Y

For an understanding ofl the invention, reference should be had to thev accompanying `sheets of drawings, wherein- Figure l is a top plan view disclosing the base plate through which lthe shift lever works, and illustrating the improved locking means as applied thereto and in locked engagement with the shift blocks.

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view in elevation, taken on line 2-*2, Fig. 3 of the draw.- ings, and viewed in the direction of the arrows.

vation taken on linef-, Fig. 1 of the drawings, the locking arm being illustratedl by dotted lines in raised position.

Fig. 4 is' a detail sectional view of the lock mechanism. Y

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional plan View taken on line 5 5, Fig. 6, viewed in the direction of the arrows.

Figli is a sectional side elevation taken on line 6-6, Fig. 5 of the drawings, illustrating the invention as applied for the locking of the shift blocks used in connection with the universal type of shiftlever, said Fig. 3 is longitudinal sectional side eleview disclosing the locking arms in engager ment with the shift block. v

Fig. 7 is a broken detail sectional elevation illustrating the locking arms in raised posiin suitable bearings of the housing or frame,v and which frame or housing supports thel shift lever floor or base plate 4. floor 0r base plate iS farmed with the usual H1 are secured to a spring held rotatable shaft 7 mounted in bearings carried by the underside o`f the iioor plate 4, and which shaft is normally held to hold the arms 6 in raised position by means of the torsion of the spring 8 coiled thereon, and secured at one end to the said shafti', and at its opposite end to one of the fixed bearings 7 depending\ from theundersidenof the plate To the outer or projecting end of the oscillatingA or rock shaft 7 is attached a foot lever or pedal 9. The arms 6 work 'within the slotted portions 10 of the iioor or base plate 4, and when in lowered position the upper surface thereof isflush with the upper surface of the said ioor or base plate 4. Each of the said/arms 6, intermediate of its end, carry a downwardly projecting lug extension 11, which extensions, when the arms 6 are thrown into lowered position, fit within the shift 'blocks 12 carried at the upper extremity of the gear levers 13,- which levers are fulcrumed on the shaft 2, the lower extensions 13 of each fulcrum lever being connected with the usual shift rods, not shown in the drawings, and which said rods serve to shift the variable speed gears of the motor vehicle in accordancewith the throw of the shift lever 1 when moved into engage-v ment with the Ashift blocks 12.

Each arm 6, at its outer end, is provided with a downwardly extended tapered lug 11a, which when the arms 6 are thrown into lowered position move and lit within a seat 12 of the U-shaped bracket 132 carried by the underfaee of the floor or base plate 4 (Figs. 2 and 4 of the drawings). Each of the lugs-11u is formed with a cut-out or socket portion 14, which receive the lock bolt 14 movable horizontally within the guide slot 15 in the foot or base plate 4, the said lock bolt or plate 14V being held normally outwardly pressed by means of the spring 15 seated within the guide slot 15, and which exerts pressure on the inner face The outerface of each of the lugs 11a. is inclined or beveled as shown at a. Fig. 4 of the drawings, so that as the arms 6 are thrown downwardly through pressure applied on the foot lever 9 which actuates the shaft 7 to throw the arms 6, the beveled face a of the lugs 14 will force inwardly the spring held sliding bolt 14, until the arms 6 have reached their lowerrnost position, when the pressure of the spring 15 will automatically throw the sliding lock bolt 14 within the socket portion 14 of the lugs 1la and thus automatically lock the arms 6 in their lowered position, Fig. 4 of the draw ings. lVhen inthis lowered position, :the locking lugs 11 are iitted within the shift blocks 12 and fill the said shift blocks, and as a consequence the shift lever 1 'cannot be moved into engagement therewith on an attempted throw of the same from neutral position.

lVitlrthe shift blocks-thus filled, the shift lever 1. is held against operative movement for shifting the variable speed gears of the motor vehicle. l

`Within the b'arrel housing 16. upwardly projecting from the base or floor plate 4. is mounted a rotatable lock barrel 16',v which at its lower end carries a lug 17, which works withinl aslotted section 162 of the lock pla-te 14, the said lug 17. on a turn of the lock barrel 16 through the medium of a key fitted within the key opening 1S there of, throws or moves rearwardly the lock `plate 14 to move the saine out of engagement with the lugs 11a of the arms 6, ythearms 6, when the lock bolt 14 is moved out of engagement with the lugs'll, being free to swing upwardly on pressure being removed from the foot lever or pedal 9. the same at such time being thrown upwardly by the tension of the spring 8, which throws the sliaft7 to raise the arms 6 into the position shown in dot-ted lines, Fig. 3 of the drawings, and in full lines. Fig. 7 of the i drawings, and in which position the locking lugs 11 are moved from engagement with the shift blocks 12, and the same are thus freeto be engaged by the shift lever 1 for shiftingv the variable speed gears of the vehicle through 'the shifting movement of either of the shift blocks 12 by the throwing of the lever 1 when in engagement therewith.

In Figs. 5,'6 and 7 of the drawings, the lock arms 6 are illust-rated as being applied for usein connection with the locking of the shift blocks, designated in said viewusby the reference numeral 12a, which are actuated bythe lower extremity of a shift lever 1a mounted for universal movement` commonly known as the ball socket shift lever. In this case, the shift blocks 12a are mounted on slide rods 19, and which shift blocks 12a are engaged by the lower free end 19 of the shift lever 1a when the shift bloc rs 12a are 9 extends above the ioor plate 4 and at one of the universal shift lever 1a,

side of the housing 3, and when the said lever 9 is thrown to lower the arms G, the lug extensions 11 thereof move into engagement with the shift blocks 12.

In this case and for convenience and to preventnnnecessary crowding of the' working parts, the shift blocks 12a are provided in the outer wall faces thereof with the recesses or socket portion 20, into engagement with which the lugs 1l of the arms 6 move when the said arms are thrown into a lowered position. It is obvious, however, that if so desired the arms 6 may be ,moved closer together on the shaft 7, so that the lug extensions 11 thereof may move into engagement with the recessed portions 20a thereof, so as to prevent the shift leverV 1a moving into engagement with. such 'recessed portions 20a. However, preference 'is given in providing the shift blocks l2 with the recessed portions 20, and so spacingthe arms 6 relative to the shaft 7 that the lug extensions 11 thereof wiil engage with the recessed portions 2O of the shift blocks. Under this construction the arms 6 when lowered are in a plane beneath that of the Alock bolt 14, and inasmuch as the lug eX- tensions 11, illustrated in Figs. 1, 3 and 4 of the drawings, are eliminated from the lock arms 6 of Figs. 5, 6 and 7 of the drawings, the free end of each arm 6 is beveled, as shown at b, so that as the arms 6 are thrown downwardly the beveled face thereof impinges against the outer face of the lock bolt 14 and forces the saine inwardly so as to permit the arms 6 to clear the same, the said lock bolt automatically moving outwardly by the pressure of the spring 15 tooverlie the arms 6 when in full lowered'position, and the arms thus held locked against upward movement until the rotatable lock barrel 16 has been thrown or turned to cause the lug 17 thereof to throw the lock plate 14 to move the same from within the'sphere Y of the arms 6, at which time the arms 6 are free to move upwardly and are thrown up wardly by the tension of the spring' 8 on pressure being released from the foot lever or pedal 9.

It is obvious that when the lug extensions 11 of the arms 6 are in engagement with the' recessed or socket portions QO-of the shift blocks 12a, that the said blocks are held against movement of any kind by the action consequently, although he universal shift lever 1a is free to be moved in any direction, no such movement can actuate the shift blocks 12a to shift the variable speed gears of the motor ve hicle through a movement of the rods 19, until the arms 6 have been thrown into such a position as to take the lug extensions 11 thereof from within engagement wit-h the shift blocks 12a.

It will be noted that the action of the lock bolt for the locking of the arms 6 as throwii into lowered position to cause the lug exten'-, sions l1 thereof to move into engagement with the shift blocks,I is entirely vautomatic with the shift blocks on a release of the lock bolt 14,, that the said arms 6 are thrown for,

loweredfor engagement with the shift-,.-

blocks through the action of the foot controlled lever .or pedal 9.

I am aware that various changes may be" made in the details of construction of the working parts of the described lock controlledl means, without departing from the nature and the spiritof theinvention, and I do.

or hand Y not wish to be understood as limit-ing or con-,gf-r iining myself to such details of construction,v 1 but, on the contrary, wish to be understood as claiming as broadly as the state'of the art will permit, pressure actuated locking.,

arms adapted to be thrown into locking po-my sition through the action of a foot pedal or lever for movement into locked engaoenieiit;I

c, 2D Y with the shift blocks controlling the shifting movement of the variable gears, and adapted to be automatically held locked in said adjusted position, and to be automatically moved out of locked engagement with the said shift blocks on a release of the lock bolt from engagement with the said arm.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is l. In combination with a support having a shift lever mounted therein for free swinging movement, of shift blocks adapted to be engaged by said lever for actuating the same to shift the variable gears of a motor driven vehicle, pivotally mounted spring held arms carrying extensions adapted to be moved into engagement with said shift blocks to, holdthe same' against operative movement, a spring held lock bolt for auto- .matically engaging and holding said arms in engagement with 'said shift blocks, and lock controlled means for actuating said lock boltto release the said look means.

2. In combination lwith the shift blocks for controlling the shifting of the variable gears of a motor driven vehicle, of pressure actuated block locking means capable of swinging;v movement for engaging said shift blocks to hold the same against movement, a lock controlled locking bolt within the path of movement of said locking means foreng'aging and holding the block locking means .in locked engagement with said blocks, and means for moving the locking means out of engagement with the shift blocks and restoring the same to normal position on a release of the lock controlled lock bolt from engagement with said blocklocking means.

i-`3..In combination with the shift blocks for controlling the shifting of the variable j movement of the free end of said swinging 1,meansfor automaticalbr engaging and holdu ingfsa'ldeiwingmg means in locked engageith y.the shift blocks.

combination with the shift blocks een olling the shifting of the variable ears 'of' al motor driven vehicle of a s rinO .heldfroc'k shaft, foot controlled means lfor .throwing said shaft in one direction, arms i carried by said shaft provided with extensions for engaging with the shift blocks to hold the same locked against movement on the arms being moved in one direction, a

springpheld slide lock bolt for holding the said arms in locked engagement with the 5. The combination with the shift blocks for controlling the shifting of the variable gears of a motor driven vehicle, of spring held foot actuated pivotally mounted'means adapted to be swung into locked.engagement With said blocks to hold same against movement, an automatically controlled lock bolt within the path of movement ofthe free end of said foot actuated means for engaging and holding the same in locked engagement with the said shift blocks, and mechanism for withdrawing said bolt from engagement vwith the free end of said foot.

actuated means to permit the said means to move out of engagement with the shift blocks.

In'testimony vhereof I have signed my name to this speciication in the presence of the subscribing witness.

GEORGE JENSEN.

Witness:

D. B. RICHARDS. 

